'I'm not good at friends, but I am good at stories.'
Such a fun, sweet, heartfelt and colourful D&D story for 2023. It's about creativity, but the overriding themes are friendship and growing up.
Middle schooler Jess Descheene is best friends with Olivia Aguilar, and has been for a long time. What they share most is 'Dungeons & Dragons'. Jess aways thought that was enough - her imagination and her one friend, together in their own private world in the form of D&D. But when Olivia, the Dungeon Master, wants to play it with more friends - starting a D&D club at school, plus seeing her other school friends and maybe running for student council - Jess's world begins to crumble, both in real life and in her D&D game.
Friends, bullies, bully victims, supportive and understanding fathers, oh and magic, adventure, beastly creatures, swordfighting demon descendants, and cleric elf mages in imaginative kids' tabletop roleplaying fantasy - together and in parallel.
'D&D: Dungeon Club, #1: Roll Call' is really adorable and wholesome, also containing fantasy elements I like. It's good and relevant even for people who don't normally play tabletop games. I kind of wish I could play now. This graphic novel made me gravitate more towards the imaginative fantasy tabletop playing circles than 'The Adventure Zone' did. 'D&D: Dungeon Club' is more inclusive and accessible, at least.
Jess isn't always likeable, but she is a child growing up, and she is lonely and insecure (in her school and family life), for understandable reasons. I can relate to her there, when I was a child myself; that and her imagination, which is a big part of her personality.
But what is up with her comment early on about a "rule" on nerds not being popular? Where have you been, Jess?!
Moon witch Artemis Crescent, rolling out now. Skill and hit points relative to any situation. That and moon phase powers.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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